A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little kid loved to come and play around it every day.
He climbed to the treetop, ate the apples, and took a nap under the shadow. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.
Time went by, the little kid had grown up. One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad.
“Come and play with me,” the tree asked the boy.
Boy: “I am no longer a kid, I do not play around trees anymore. I want toys. I need money to buy them.”
Tree: “Sorry, I do not have any money. But you can pick my apples, then sell them to get the money.”
The boy was excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back. The tree was sad.
One day, the boy who now turned into a man returned and the tree was excited.
“Come and play with me,” the tree asked the man.
Man: “I do not have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter.”
Tree: “Sorry, I do not have any house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house.”
So the man cut all the branches of the tree and left happily.
The man never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.
One hot summer day, the man who now at his middle age returned and the tree was delighted.
“Come and play with me!” the tree asked.
Man: “I am getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. I want a boat.”
Tree: “Sorry, I do not have any boat. But you can use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy.”
So the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.
Finally, the man returned after many years.
“Sorry, I do not have anything for you anymore. The only thing left is my dying roots,” the tree said.
“I do not need anything now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years,” the man replied.
“Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest, come sit down with me and rest.” The man sat down and the tree was glad. Then they both smiled with tears.
We take our family, friends and loved ones for granted, we don’t appreciate all they do for us … until it’s too late. Treat them with loving care today.
Learn to appreciate what you have. Before time makes you appreciate what you’d lost.
